Welcome to your Week 8 Headlines in Review, written by the Three Technique Team. This week, we crown Ohio State as a legitimate contender, introduce our new “Refmageddon” segment, and celebrate the biggest upset of the year! Power rank your top five teams in the comments or by tagging us @ThreeTechPod, and be sure to check out the podcast on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple!
James Franklin Claims Buckeyes, Nittany Lions are the Two Best Teams in College Football…Let’s Check the Tape
Immediately following the 20-12 loss to Ohio State, Penn State head coach James Franklin got up in front of the media and proclaimed, “I’m not sure we didn’t just watch the two best teams in college football.” Well, we give him an A for effort. While Penn State’s defense looked like one of the best in the country, the cold reality is that the offense failed to do anything approaching average, let alone elite. Let’s look at some numbers, shall we?
- Penn State went 1-16 on third down. That lone conversion wasn’t until the outcome of the game was already determined.
- Quarterback Drew Allar had a rough day, to put it mildly. He completed 18 of 42 attempts for 191 yards and one touchdown. When asked about his performance, he said simply, “I sucked.”
- Penn State only rushed for 42 yards, failing to threaten the Buckeyes with a normally steady ground game.
- The offensive line surrendered four sacks and six tackles for loss against a fierce pass rush.
So no, James, Penn State was far from one of the best teams in the country. As someone who predicted Penn State to go to the College Football Playoff, I’m left underwhelmed and disappointed after a lackluster result.
For the Buckeyes, their defense continues to look sensational under second-year defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. It took a full season for Knowles to get his hands on the defense and turn it around, but that unit no longer looks like the only thing holding the Buckeyes back from a championship. Once again, the Big Ten will come down to the final week of the regular season against Michigan. We can’t wait.
Refmageddon: Providing a Safe Space for College Football Fans to Discuss Game-Altering Calls
Welcome to our newest segment on the podcast: Refmageddon! Listen, we all get frustrated about missed calls, but when they affect the outcome of a game, we need a calm, safe space to discuss the facts before we all lose our collective minds 🙂
We’ve got our first two submissions below.
First up, we have the Texas at Houston game!
The situation: Third-and-1 with less than 1:30 left, and Houston is driving. The Cougars hand the ball off and “clearly” get the first down. Instead, the refs mark him short and do not take time to review the spot. The next play, Texas stops the Cougars to finish off a 31-24 victory. Was he actually short? You be the judge.
Next, we have Iowa and its controversial loss to Minnesota! Despite the fact that Iowa had only two (TWO!!) yards of offense in the second half, Cooper DeJean appeared to have won the game for Iowa with less than two minutes left with a punt returned for a touchdown. After further review, the officials said he signaled fair catch. DeJean was actually telling his teammates to get away. As someone marrying into a Hawkeyes family, this one hurts.
Virginia’s Upset of North Carolina Proves That Winning is Hard and College Football Is the Best
Nothing had gone right for Virginia this season. Tony Elliot’s bunch was 1-5, had been blown out by Tennessee and Maryland, and had three other one-possession losses. North Carolina, on the other hand, looked to be the clear number two in the ACC behind only Florida State.
None of that mattered on Saturday night as the Hoos upset the Tar Heels ON THE ROAD. For Virginia, it was its first win over an AP top 10 team since 2005, and it was the Cavaliers’ first win over an AP top 10 team on the road EVER.
A massive tip of the cap to Virginia and its entire team for continuing to fight, no matter the opponent.
Quick Hitters: Bowl Eligibility, Sun Belt Carnage, and a Leader Emerges in the MAC
Welcome to the Party, Rutgers and UNLV!
Rutgers is good at football in the year of our Lord, Two Thousand and Twenty Three. Greg Schiano has finally turned Rutgers around. With a stout defense and an aggressive running game, the Scarlet Knights will go bowling for the first time since 2014. Similarly, UNLV has reached bowl eligibility for the first time since 2013 under first-year head coach Barry Odom.
What a Week in the Sun Belt!
Georgia State picked off Louisiana in the end zone to prevent the game-winning score, James Madison suffocated Marshall 20-9, and Old Dominion beat Appalachian State at home behind over 200 rushing yards. The Sun Belt remains one of the most entertaining conferences on a weekly basis. As we come down the home stretch, Georgia State and Old Dominion are tied atop the East standings (insert NCAA slander here for the James Madison ruling). With App State’s second straight loss, Texas State and Troy are now in the driver’s seat in the West. If you’re wondering when Georgia State and ODU play each other, you need only look to the last weekend of the year. That’s right, drama filled Turkey Day weekend. Just as God intended it.
Toledo Takes Control of the MAC
Thanks to a 21-17 win over Miami (OH), the Rockets are once again the clear cut favorites in the MAC. Miami also lost Brett Gabbert to a serious injury, so its matchup against Ohio (one of the best defenses in the country) is going to be even more pivotal. With the win, Toledo is now 7-1 on the year and will face a resurgent Buffalo squad next weekend.
About the author
I've spent the majority of the last decade cutting my teeth in college sports, covering athletics for three separate universities and spent 2021 as an Assistant Athletic Director. I graduated from Texas A&M in 2019 and got my Masters from Dallas Baptist University two years later. My favorite CFB memory will always be Texas A&M's dramatic 7OT win over LSU in 2018, my final game as a student. My passion is telling stories and helping fans get to know their favorite athletes on a personal level, whether that be through articles or a broadcast.
